By Kiran Nandalur
For the Daily
When Chris Carter, creator of "The X-Files," announced he was producing "Millennium" last year, the public was expecting another fantastic and mysterious thriller. After about a dozen episodes, however, the highly publicized addition to the Fox Friday night lineup has floundered in the Nielsen ratings, and it has taken some of the luster off the producer's star. But a probe into the complex plot, stoic characters and recurring themes reveals that "Millennium" contains many of the elements that have propelled its predecessor into the national headlines.
| REVIEW | |
|---|---|
 |
Millennium Fox Fridays at 9 p.m. |
The stone-faced Black, with his "Profiler"-like psychic powers, delves into the seemingly random violence in order to find the singular power inducing a possible apocalypse.
In the early episodes, though, it seemed as if he was merely catching serial killers without any regard for the greater meaning. For example, in one episode, Black attempted to solve the murders of people having an open house, and he made a deliberate aside to the symbol of the cross, which was found at the crime scenes. In the end, though, the killer was dealt with, but the events were left unconnected. In addition, a bunch of unnecessary emotional material about the trauma of witnessing a murder was thrown in, which made the show painfully slow.
In contrast, the newer episodes are poignant, well-made and exciting. Recently, Black investigated the death of two identical women. This led to the discovery of a conspiracy associated with the planetary alignment and an old man's quest to produce a band of surviving transcendent humans. The deterministic elements, religious allusions, melancholy mood and gratuitous gore made me a viewer for life.
In addition, themes of human impotence and isolation, underscored by the cold and detached view of Black, endowed the program with an unmatched intellectual flavor. Overall, when the show centers on the main point, the approaching apocalypse, as it has in the new year, it is one of the best programs on television.
"Millennium" is similar to the entertaining "The X-Files" in respect to the fact that they both have alienated protagonists who are searching for a greater truth against powerful unknown forces. Although occasionally boring, pointless or too serious, the dark premise and intriguing Frank Black make the show worthwhile for sophisticated viewers.
Lance Henriksen investigates a series of sex crimes in "Millennium."
The Black family of "Millennium."